The present invention relates to water play toys and decoration devices and in particular to a two-piece assembly in which a top or upper portion is removable and in operation is elevated above a bottom portion by balancing it on a stream of water.
This device according to the present invention is one which operates on the principle of balancing an object on a vertical stream of liquid, such as water. By communicating a source of water under pressure through a nozzle, a stream or jet of water is created which is directed upwardly at the bottom or underside of the object to be balanced.
The concept of elevating a body by the use of fluid pressure has been used in such applications as visual displays, lawn sprinklers and toys. Representative of the foregoing are the devices described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,078,432; 2,055,498; and 3,700,172.
In U.S. Pat. No. 2,055,498, spherical objects are suspended on air streams emanating from jets to simulate the suspension of bodies in a planetary or solar system. The objects to be suspended are limited to spheres which are suspended relatively short distances from the air jets. The principle of operation of such devices is one which involves the use of aerodynamic forces to cause the spheres to balance. A sphere tending to move out of the air stream is drawn back due to the difference in pressure on the high and low pressure sides of the sphere. This is what enables the operation of such a device even when a sphere is located a substantial distance away from the vertical. Such a principle is operable with gaseous fluids, but not with liquids.
In U.S. Pat. No. 1,078,432, a pop-up lawn sprinkler is shown in which an interior shaft is axially movable in a stationary outer tube connected to a water supply. The interior shaft has an axial passage of a small diameter allowing water flowing in the tube to flow through the shaft passage to an outlet where it is broadcast onto the lawn or other plantings to be watered. A broadened base at the bottom of the shaft and the relatively small axial passage react to the head of water pressure communicated through the outer tube causing the shaft to rise or "pop-up" above the ground level to more advantageously sprinkle. At the top of its rise, the broadened base of the interior shaft is held against a mating shoulder by water pressure to retain the shaft in the tube.
The principle of operation here is essentially pressure and tethering. The movable element does not balance on the head of water, but rather is forced by water pressure upwardly and is held and restrained by the retaining shoulder collar at the top of the outer tube. Thus, the interior shaft is never out of physical contact with the outer tube.
A reaction type of toy is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,700,172. Water communicated by a hose to a housing is conducted through a plurality of internal tubes to spray nozzles opening downwardly from the housing. The force of water emitted by the nozzles causes the housing to lift and hover over the surface on which it is placed at rest. As the term implies, the toy of the U.S. Pat. No. 3,700,172 is one which is caused to rise in reaction to the forces encountered as water passes through the outlet nozzles. Other water reaction toys are also known, including that shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,079,727 and known as the Water Wiggle. The action/reaction principle is also graphically illustrated by a hose having a constricted outlet which writhes like a snake when a source of water pressure is connected to the hose.
Water play toys have long been a source of great amusement and recreation value. In summer months in particular, toys which combine action and the use of water have provided diversion and a source of cooling at the same time. It has frequently been a favorite pastime of children to play using lawn sprinklers and the like by turning the sprinklers on and running through them. Even simply turning on a garden hose and squirting play companions has been popular attesting to the fascination that children have for water and water play.
The present invention belongs to this genre of toys. In addition, it combines an unusual, almost magical, visual effect which adds immeasurable to the play value of the toy. In one aspect, the present invention provides a liquid powered apparatus, including a first element for generating a jet of liquid and a second element positioned in operative relationship to the first element. Means are provided on the second element for balancing the second element on the jet of liquid.
In another aspect, the invention provides a toy having a stationary element and an elevatable hat or crown portion. A nozzle provided in the head of the stationary element directs a jet of water up through the hat portion. The reaction of the hat portion to the head of pressure generated by the water stream causes it to rise and be suspended over the stationary element. By providing the hat portion with a water deflector at the top, the toy broadcasts a circular pattern of water radially outwardly from the suspended hat.
In still another aspect, the invention contemplates a water play toy, including a source of water and means connected to the source of water for generating a relatively thin, upwardly directed, column of water. Means are positioned in operative relation to the water column generating means for being raised and balanced in the end of the column of water without additional support when water pressure is communicated from the source to the water column generating means.
In its presently preferred embodiment, the toy of the present invention is configured in the form of the head of a clown having a removable hat. Mounted at the top of the hat is an impeller. The hat is conical in shape and open at both ends so that the stream of water passing through the cone impinges upon the undersurface of the impeller which is dome-shaped in its center. The water is deflected by the dome outwardly past impeller blades or vanes extending from the undersurface of the impeller. The force of the deflected water impinging on the vanes causes the hat to rotate and to broadcast or sprinkle an umbrella-shaped shower of water in a circular pattern around the clown head.
Using normally available water pressures, the hat can be raised to a height of up to twenty feet in the air and to broadcast a circular pattern of water approximately ten feet in diameter. Increasing and decreasing the water causes the hat to rise and fall on the end of the water stream. The direction of the nozzle on the head of the clown is adjustable such that the stream of water is directed vertically upward, and when so directed, the conical hat will balance indefinitely on the end of the stream so long as it is uninterrupted.
What has been provided is a water toy which provides great fascination and entertainment value for its users by virtue of the ability to suspend an object seemingly in midair with the only means of support being a jet of water emanating from the top of the clown head. The rotating action of the impeller creates a circular water sprinkler effect, but one which is raised to a height above the heads of the users providing an elevated shower that a number of people can stand under or run through, making the toy particularly suitable for group play. Eliminating the impeller vanes produces a stationary shower. Momentary interruptions of the stream causes the hat to fall a few feet and then be caught by the stream and rise again. Turning the water off momentarily and then back on also achieves the same effect, enhancing the action of the toy and creating many "game" possibilities. When the hat is knocked off the stream or falls for other reasons, it can be placed on top of the water jet and released. That hat is immediately supported and balanced by the water stream and rises to its original height, an effect which greatly adds to the "magical levitation" effect of the toy.
In addition to play applications, the apparatus of the present invention has other contemplated applications, including but not limited to display devices and uses as decorative fountain type devices. The inherent action of the apparatus plus the use of water make the apparatus an immediate attention-getter. The adjustable height plus the shower effect make it particularly suitable for use in garden fountain settings and its effect can be further enhanced with creative use of associated lighting effects.